London bike commuters, how far do you ride and how is your commute?

used to ride 15 miles from hampton court to southwick. used to love it most days, it was always interesting, full of life and near misses of death. Loads of almost daily incidents with car drivers and stupid lorrys and a fair few cyclists too but gave me pretty good fitness and let me eat whatever I wanted.

Now ride about 5 miles to kingston instead and then home the long way out to walton bridge and back. Makes a 20 mile day but this faded recently with more work from home.

Used to commute in from Weybridge to the city at least 3x per week (24miles each way by my route). Enjoyed it and it did serve as training to some degree but echo the comments that it knackers your legs so any attempt at decent training on the weekends can be railroaded. I now live too far out to have the option and I seriously miss it. tried cycling home in the summer (plan was to try do it once or twice a week) from the city to new house but at 75miles one way its a little much after a hard day at the office.

I don't get near misses.. am I just lucky? I am probably going to get wiped out on Monday after posting that, so.. it was nice knowing you all, and if my Kona Dew isn't too mangled it goes to the first STWer on the scene.

molgrips - Member
I don't get near misses.. am I just lucky? I am probably going to get wiped out on Monday after posting that, so.. it was nice knowing you all, and if my Kona Dew isn't too mangled it goes to the first STWer on the scene.

Same here.

Think people often over exaggerate just how dangerous commuting. In 2.5 years i've had one incident and the number of near misses I can count on one hand.

When I do my commute, it's 22 miles each way, but I don't do it every day.

I also tend to avoid doing it in the winter/bad weather because it does feel distinctly more dangerous.

I took a cab ride from Holborn to Waterloo the other evening at 5.30pm and I couldn't believe the sheer volume of traffic and cyclists all trying to use the same space.

It occurred to me then that given how busy it was, the only way it made sense to still ride in central London, was to ride in a way that didn't make sense.

I mean that you have to filter aggressively, push your way through blind spots between stationary buses and cars overtaking them and all at speed relative to the stationary traffic. Generally you just end up riding in a way that is very likely to get you knocked off. The alternative is to ride with the flow of traffic, of which there is none at which point it takes you just as long to commute as a car. Which makes no sense.

it's good to drive a car in London every now and then to remind yourself how tricky it can be to drive, let alone ride a bike, in the city. especially on dark wet Friday evenings when everyone just wants to be home.

I mean that you have to filter aggressively, push your way through blind spots between stationary buses and cars overtaking them and all at speed relative to the stationary traffic. Generally you just end up riding in a way that is very likely to get you knocked off.

I agree up to a point. the way you describe it above is the way I see some cyclists managing the traffic. it is possible to anticipate the traffic though and where you need to be that means you've more of a chance of being seen. when to just wait and when to squeeze through. this can only come with practice though and to some extent knowing the road layout. everyone makes mistakes.

I mean that you have to filter aggressively, push your way through blind spots between stationary buses and cars overtaking them and all at speed relative to the stationary traffic

I disagree actually.

I just ride along until I get to a junction where lane changes are needed. If I have to change lanes, I stick my arm right out and look over my shoulder, making eye contact. This gets you let out, almost always. Whilst going through the junctions I take my position in the middle of the lane and speed up if necessary, then get out of the way again afterwards. I never ever squeeze between moving cars let alone busses, because I don't want to DIE, and it doesn't hinder my progress. Well, not unreasonably anyway.

If traffic is slow moving, then I move slowly with it. If it's stationary or almost, and ONLY then, I filter. If it looks like starting to move off again, I tuck in behind a car before the moving bit gets to me.

I don't believe that's dangerous. There are just a few hairy junctions, like Parliament Square heading towards the bridge where a load of traffic from the square wants to cut left across four lanes to go down Victoria embankment, and traffic from Birdcage Walk wants to cut right across four lanes to go over the bridge.

You either need to keep up with the traffic and watch your back, or just push/trundle along the pavement.

I'd echo the above from Brakes and Molly. It's all about a nice little balance. It's not about racing, it's not about being meek and mild and hiding away. Confident, assertive riding. Getting yourself in to the right position early, using the right part of the lane (For example, heading west, from the City, under Blackfriars station, there's a piece where the road goes very far off to the left. So, by positioning to the right a little more than usual, I don't get 'boxed in' to the space on the left. Anyone riding it may well know what I mean!)

I'd also agree on the eye contact piece. Makes a massive difference.

Oh, and don't be angry. Sounds simple, but just let it all flow. Think about it this way, you're on a bike, having fun tootling along. You can choose your own route, your own speed. Chap in his car? Stuck. People on the tube? HAHAHAHAHAHA! So, ride along smugly, not angrily.

+1, cos no-one else seems to be. You don't get road rage, you don't get anything.

If you want to look out for me, I'm on a pale blue Kona Dew with a negative rise stem and a small frame bag containing a lock; an orange Osprey rucksack on a strange looking rack attached to the bars; and sometimes a pair of white Ortlieb panniers.

Really quite enjoy it as it is an occasional commute and gets me away from the train. Nice quiet back roads until Coulsdon. Then into traffic. Not too bad as long as I remember not to get too angry and just flow along with the traffic.

Utterly tedious amount of traffic lights though.

While not the greatest training, it certainly lets me clock up some miles in an otherwise dead time on tube/train. Also frees up some weekend time as I feel less pressured to put some miles in.

Hi njee20, yes i thought you were down this way. Seen someone on an old orange framed MTB with hub gears recently and wondered if they were off here. What you riding?

Yes I've seen a couple of nice MTBs and always wonder! As of next week I'll be on a white Spesh Allez, in summer an old white/grey Madone. Yellow/black kit until the weather gets really grim and the softshells come out!